Like most of us here in this room, I lead a varied and busy professional
life. I interact with a lot of people, most of whom are not Urantia
Book readers, but many of whom are actively participating in a religious
life both professionally and privately. As I go about my daily chores trying
to live the concepts of the book, I have begun to ask myself some basic
questions:

1. Is there a difference between morality and ethics? They are often
used in the same sentence such as "the mores (religious, moral, and
ethical) together with property, pride, and chivalry, stabilize the institution
of marriage and family." (*939)

2. If there is a difference between moral and ethical, what is it?

3. How has our conception of morality and ethics changed since the
appearance of this fifth epochal revelation, The Urantia Book?

4. What is being done in our present American society to address moral
and ethical questions about our evolving business organizations, the connection
between government and the media, ethics and chronic illness, ethics and
neonatal care? Is anyone taking the time to share thoughts on ethics in
the global community?

All of these questions grow out of a personal desire to be and do my
best, following the example of Jesus' life to the best of my ability. Being
a parent I want to take any opportunity I have to encourage our young people
to think and behave on the highest level of moral and ethical understanding.
Being a teacher I know that actions speak louder than words, so I am sensitive
to some degree of the responsibility I have towards my students, not only
in dealing with subject matter, but in the way I associate with
them as sisters and brothers.

In my work, I do not normally deal with life and death situations, although
some of my students would argue that point when performance time comes.
My worshipful problem solving has to do with an evenness of relationships
between me and my students; i.e., not playing favorites. This is an area
that I approach carefully, trying to contact the divine spirit within each
of themchallenging when dealing with middle and upper school students.
Advanced technical knowledge and skill has led, however, to a need in our
society for sound ethical thinking and decision making in such areas as
medicine, law, science and finance. I do believe that the way an individual
lives can affect the community around her or him, and I think we have to
be sure that the speed of our communications does not impede our ability
to seriously and deeply think about the repercussions of our actions. We
really are a global village, drinking the same water and breathing the
same air as everyone else on the planet.

Let's look at the possible difference between those two words, ethical
and moral. Webster defines moral as "1. relating to, dealing with,
or capable of making the distinction between right and wrong in conduct."
Synonyms are righteous, ethical. Ethical is defined as "1. having
to do with ethics or morality; or of conforming to moral standards."
Ethics are "1. the study of standards of conduct and moral judgment;
moral philosophy." I don't find those definitions helpful in separating
the meaning of the two words, ethical and moral. They seem almost synonymous;
however, quotes from The Urantia Book do seem to differentiate.

In describing the seven developmental epochs of an average world a Secondary
Lanonandek Son of the Reserve Corps said of the fifth level, the epoch
of philosophy and brotherhood: "The society of this age becomes ethical,
and the mortals of such an era are truly becoming moral beings. Wise moral
beings are capable of establishing human brotherhood on such a progressing
world. Ethical and moral beings can learn how to live in accordance with
the golden rule." (*577)

In the paper on the Evolution of Local Universes, a Mighty Messenger
temporarily attached to the Supreme Council of Nebadon, assigned to this
mission by Gabriel of Salvington, tells us that "The Creator Son rules
supreme in all matters of ethical association, the relations of any division
of creatures to any other class of creatures or of two or more individuals
within any given group." (*363)

In the Foundations of Religious Faith paper a Melchizedek of Nebadon,
speaking of the evidences of religion, says that "The difference in
the religions of various ages is wholly dependent on the difference in
man's [the person's] comprehension of reality and on his[her] differing
recognition of moral values, ethical relationships, and spirit realities."
(*1127)

In the final paper of The Urantia Book on the Faith of Jesus,
a midwayer writes, "The human mind does not create real values; human
experience does not yield universe insight. Concerning insight, the recognition
of moral values and the discernment of spiritual meanings, all that the
human mind can do is to discover, recognize, interpret, and choose.
The moral values of the universe become intellectual possessions by the
exercise of the three basic judgments, or choices, of the mortal mind:
1. Self-judgment--moral choice. 2. Social-judgment--ethical choice. 3.
God-judgment--religious choice." (*2094) To my understanding, these
quotes point to the fact that, as used in The Urantia Book, the
word moral refers most often to the individual and ethical relates to an
association of individuals or groups.

* * *

Carol Gilligan has done a lot of research in the way women think and
behave. In reading Mapping the Moral Domain, edited by Carol Gilligan,
Janie Victoria Ward, and Jill McLean Taylor, Piaget was quoted as having
said, "apart from our relations to other people, there can be no moral
necessity."

In the same book Simone Weil is said to have defined morality as "the
silence in which one can hear the unheard voices." Interesting, in
light of our knowledge of the work of the Thought Adjuster.

Carol Gilligan has defined a justice perspective and a care perspective.
Justice has to do with relationships organized in terms of equality, symbolized
by balancing of scales. Moral concerns focus on problems of oppression,
problems stemming from inequality, and the moral ideal is one of reciprocity
or equal respect. This way of thinking and relating to others is living
the golden rule as it was understood before Jesus' teachings, do unto others
as you would have done to you. "To treat others as you would like
to be treated demands distance and objectivity." (p.74) The care perspective
speaks of a relationship connoting responsiveness or engagement, a resiliency
of connection that is symbolized by a network or web. Moral concerns focus
on problems of detachment or disconnection or abandonment, or indifference,
and the moral ideal is one of attention and response.

In my opinion that points towards ethical behavior in a situation involving
two or more people based on the moral understandings of the individuals,
"working out the least painful alternative for all those involved,
seeing the situation in its context, working within an existential reality
and ensuring that all persons are understood in their own terms."
"We can appreciate the passionate clarity of a face value judgment,
the generosity of a composite picture judgment that looks for the good
side, and the integrity of a multiple lens judgment that recognizes that
actions that satisfy one's conscience may not be truly helpful." (p.97)

In the present-day world of fast communications and vast networking,
we must realize that our behavior may have broad repercussions. We need
to recognize and take that into consideration when acting. Let's examine
that phrase, "integrity of a multiple lens judgment."

The word integrity comes from a root meaning wholeness, soundness, entire.
It is a way of looking at matters that is found most often in a woman's
way of seeing matters, according to the research of Gilligan and colleagues.
To act with integrity is to bring a sense of honesty, sincerity and wholeness
to our thinking and decision making.

The Urantia Book says in the Real Nature of Religion paper, "In
and through all the historic vicissitudes of religion there ever persists
that which is indispensable to human progress and survival, the ethical
conscience and the moral consciousness." (*1107) Our spiritual teachers
seem to be saying that before we can become responsible, ethical participants
with our sisters and brothers, we must become aware of our private moral
fiber and strive to improve it daily. I seem to remember the admonition
that before we attempt to remove the splinter from our neighbor's eye,
we first remove the log from our own.

We know that the Thought Adjuster arrives with the first moral choice
we make somewhere between the ages of 5 and 6. That fragment of God is
our very best friend and is an untiring guide working from within to nurture
our evolving soul. In addition to these inner urgings we have other sources
of aid in our spiritual growth such as the Seraphic Guardians of Destiny,
who work from the outside in. "Seraphim are mind stimulators; they
continually seek to promote circle-making decisions in human mind. They
do this, not as does the Adjuster, operating from within and through the
soul, but rather from the outside inward, working through the social, ethical,
and moral environment of human beings." (*1245)

We often joke in the Laurence household that we should be careful in
our prayers. Opportunities for spiritual growth seem to present themselves
constantly without our having asked for them. We are comforted, however,
by knowing that the book says, "To accept the guidance of a seraphim
rarely means attaining a life of ease. In following this leading you are
sure to encounter, and if you have the courage, to traverse, the rugged
hills of moral choosing and spiritual progress." (*1245)

In the Planetary Mortal Epochs paper at the bottom of page 597 there
is a paragraph on "Ethical Awakening." "Only ethical consciousness
can unmask the immorality of human intolerance and the sinfulness of fratricidal
strife. Only a moral conscience can condemn the evils of national envy
and racial jealousy. Only moral beings will ever seek for that spiritual
insight which is essential to living the golden rule."

Later in that same section, on page 598, we read that "The quickest
way to realize the brotherhood of man on Urantia is to effect the spiritual
transformation of present-day humanity. The only technique for accelerating
the natural trend of social evolution is that of applying spiritual pressure
from above, thus augmenting moral insight while enhancing the soul capacity
of every mortal to understand and love every other mortal. Mutual understanding
and fraternal love are transcendent civilizers and mighty factors in the
worldwide realization of the brotherhood of man[kind]." We have help
on every side.

We have but to ask for it, which leads us to look at ethical prayer.

We know that "No prayer can be ethical when the petitioner seeks
for selfish advantage over his fellows [others]. Selfish and materialistic
praying is incompatible with the ethical religions which are predicated
on unselfish and divine loveSelfish praying transgresses the spirit of
all ethics founded on living justice. Prayer must never be so prostituted
as to become a substitute for action. All ethical prayer is a stimulus
to action and a guide to the progressive striving for idealistic goals
of superself-attainment." (*997)

We are advised to be persistent in our prayers. In the 11th chapter
of Luke is recalled the story of the person who knocked on the neighbor's
door asking for some food to feed another friend who had arrived unexpectedly.
At first rejected because of the late hour, the neighbor finally answered
the call when the surprised host continued to knock. "What father
among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him
a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then,
who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more
will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
(Luke 11:11-13)

In Paul's letters to the Romans we are told, "Likewise the Spirit
helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but
the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words."
(Romans 8:26)

The Chief of the Urantia Midwayers clearly states that "Words are
irrelevant to prayer; they are merely the intellectual channel in which
the river of spiritual supplication may chance to flow. The word value
of a prayer is purely autosuggestive in private devotions and sociosuggestive
in group devotions. God answers the soul's attitude, not the words."
(*1002)

The Jews have a style of song called the Niggun where nonsense syllables
are sung in prayer. I had two seniors approach me this past graduation
with a suggestion of a song they wanted to sing at that celebration. The
words were innocuous, but the music and style of singing was very touching
and transmitted just the right message to the parents.

Which takes me back to my everyday world. Erickson has said, "to
share true authority with the young would mean to acknowledge something
which adults have learned to mistrust in themselves: a truly ethical potential."
To Erickson, ethical concerns were a natural meeting ground between adults
and adolescents, both rendered uncertain by the predicament of modern civilization.
(Mapping the Moral Domain p. XV)

Jesus taught that the kingdom of God (the will of God) "was in
itself a new standard of moral values, a new ethical yardstick wherewith
to measure human conduct. It portrayed the ideal of a resultant new order
of human society." (*1859) We are encouraged "to come as a little
child, to receive the bestowal of sonship as a gift; to submit to the doing
of the Father's will without questioning and in the full confidence and
genuine trustfulness of the Father's wisdom, to come into the kingdom free
from prejudice and preconception; to be open-minded and teachable like
an unspoiled child." (*1861)

The young people I teach are encouraged to grow through their interpretation
of the golden rule from just seeing themselves as sibling inhabitants of
the same neighborhood to the recognition that this golden rule was the
"positive injunction of a great moral teacher who embodied in this
statement the highest concept of moral obligation as regards all fraternal
[sibling] relationships." (*1950)

The Urantia Book further says that the "true cosmic meaning
of this rule of universal relationship [ethics?] is revealed only in its
spiritual realization, in the interpretation of the law of conduct by the
spirit of the Son to the spirit of the Father that indwells the soul of
mortal man[kind]. And when such spirit-led mortals realize the true meaning
of this golden rule, they are filled to overflowing with the assurance
of citizenship in a friendly universe, and their ideals of spirit reality
are satisfied only when they love their fellows [cohabitants] as Jesus
loved us all, and that is the reality of the realization of the love of
God." (*1950)

As for my future relationship with present day organized religious groups,
I remember the advice given Jesus when he was about to embark on his mission
to our planet, "As you may see fit, you are to identify yourself with
existing religious and spiritual movements as they may be found on Urantia
but in every possible manner seek to avoid the formal establishment of
an organized cult, a crystallized religion, or a segregated ethical grouping
of mortal beings." (*1330) I have sought to work within three major
religious groups and be open to dialogue with others for whom religion
is more than a passing fancy or a family tradition, but I still feel the
need to gather as we do here in Snowmass to discuss religious ideas and
experiences emanating from our study of the book.

Referring to the last question I asked at the beginning of this talk:
What is being done in our present American society to address moral and
ethical questions about our evolving business organizations, the connections
between government and the media, ethics and chronic illness, ethics and
neonatal care and ethics in the global community? Moral individuals are
gathering in other parts of our world to discuss these issues.

In a publication of the World Business Academy, John Renesch from San
Francisco describes an emergence of a new consciousness in the world of
business, articulating some changes of thinking from the traditional ways
to the emerging new trends; from controlling leadership to evoking leadership,
from solving problems to creating opportunities, from a hierarchy of unequals
to a voluntary association of equals, from management that supervises and
intimidates employees to one that inspires and cares for teammates.

The Hastings Center in Briarcliff Manor, New York, exists to "confront
and attempt to resolve the moral problems brought on by advances in the
biomedical sciences and the professions; To educate the general public
on the moral aspects of those scientific, medical, and professional issues
that will inevitably change our own lives and those of our children; To
take on some of the most difficult moral dilemmas of our society: AIDS,
care of the dying, chronic illness, animal welfare, artificial reproduction,
genetic screening, professional ethics, justice in health care, long-term
care ethics."

In the spring of 1988 the Iowa division of the United Nations Association-USA
presented an international colloquium to explore "the substantial
moral and ethical dimensions of choices and trade-offs to be made in order
to achieve a truer ethical balance between freedom and social responsibility
and how these choices and trade-offs can be translated into hope and reasoned
action." Their vision of the immediate future is "firmly rooted
in a present awareness that political will begins with people."

Just as we are gathering here to discuss religious ideas and think about
our own moral health and habits, we are advised to apply the revelatory
information from The Urantia Book to present day religions. I suggest
that as we hone our own moral fiber based on our understanding of the teachings
in our blue book we likewise enter into groups such as the ones mentioned
to add our thinking to those who are meeting to discuss such important
practical communal, national and international problem solving.

"The teachings of Jesus constituted the first Urantian religion
which so fully embraced a harmonious co-ordination of knowledge, wisdom,
faith, truth, and love as completely and simultaneously to provide temporal
tranquillity, intellectual certainty, moral enlightenment, philosophic
stability, ethical sensitivity, God-consciousness, and the positive assurance
of personal survival." (*1112)

We need to remember to trust that "truly ethical potential"
Erickson referred to that we adults may have ceased to acknowledge. To
paraphrase a quote on page 1115, true religion is that sublime and profound
conviction within the soul which compellingly admonishes us that it would
be wrong for us not to believe in those morontial realities which constitute
our highest ethical and moral concepts, our highest interpretation of life's
greatest values and the universe's deepest realities.

I believe that what we do to see the world through the lenses of ethics
and morality in our professional and personal lives will make a difference.